We want to see you at the
Bella Auerbach*
Rae Barishman
Arthur Blum
Meyer Braunstein*
Fannie Brean*
Samuel Carner*
Theodore Carr*
Aaron Cieman*
Mayer Cons*
Ida Daybock*
Yahrzeits Shabbat Spotlight the
Frank Diamond
Harry Frieman
Daisy Greenfield
Harvey Hahn We Remember...
Helen C. Klein
Edward Lawrence Krys
Chessa Lee*
Seymore Lee
Evelyn Lewis
Dorothy Woolf Miller*
Alfred Paul "Fred" Nicolosi
Samuel Sagner*
Marjorie Samuels*
Beatrice Savitsky
Stuart Schott
Hannah Shapiro*
Shirley Snitz
Alma Sonneborn*
*Denotes plaque in Memorial Alcove
Reach out to us with any questions.
Amy L. Morrison - Rabbi
727-347-6136 - RabbiMorrison@TempleBeth-El com
Tara O’Donnell - Director of Finance & Operations
727-347-6136 - Tara@TempleBeth-El.com
Jen Hannon - Director of Early Childhood Center 727-350-5885 - Jen@TempleBeth-El.com
Tracy Nash - Bookkeeper
727-347-6136 - Bookkeeper@TempleBeth-El.com
Tovah Feld - Communications & Engagement Coordinator
727-347-6136 - Tovah@TempleBeth-El.com
Allison Fowler - Executive Assistant to Rabbi 727-347-6136 - Allison@TempleBeth-El.com
Mike Shapiro - Temple President
727-347-6136 - President@TempleBeth-El com
Rabbi Amy L. Morrison
Parshat Tazria-M’tzora invites us into a deeply emotional and spiritual journey one that speaks to the heart of what it means to belong to a Jewish community The m’tzora, afflicted with tzara-at, is temporarily cast outside the camp, separated from the people, the rituals, the sacred flow of communal life It is a painful exile not just from space, but from connection.
Yet this very separation reveals something profound: community is not a given it is a gift. The Torah doesn’t treat healing as a private matter. It is communal, sacred. The Kohen (High Priest) does more than diagnose; he facilitates return. Through ritual, presence, and care, he helps reweave the fabric of belonging, reminding us that every soul matters, even and especially after they’ve stumbled.
Tazria-M’tzora also highlights the power of speech. Words can harm, but they can also heal. They can isolate, but they can also welcome home. A holy community a kehilla kedosha is one where we speak with kindness, notice who’s missing, and create space for return.
So here is the charge: look around. Who in your life feels pushed to the margins? Reach out. Speak gently. Make space. Be the one who says, “You belong ” Let us be the kind of community that doesn’t give up on anyone In doing so, we bring holiness into the world one restored soul at a time
Announcements
Sunday, May 4
8:45am - Brotherhood Schmooze
9:30am - Sunday School Last Day
10:30am - Celebrate Israel - Congregation-Wide Event 5pm - Yom Ha’atzmaut Concert & Celebration at Congregation B’nai Israel
Thursday, May 8
7pm - Choir Rehearsal
Friday, May 9
5:30pm - Early Oneg 6pm - Erev Shabbat Service
Upcoming Events
Torah Portion
Parashat Tazria-M’tzora: Leviticus 12:1-15:33 Saturday, May 3, 2025 / 5 Iyar 5785
God describes the rituals of purification for a woman after childbirth. (12:1-8)
God sets forth the methods for diagnosing and treating a variety of skin diseases, including tzara-at (a leprous affection), as well as those for purifying clothing. (13:1-59)
Priestly rituals to cure tzara-at when it afflicts humans are described. (14:1-32)
Rituals to rid dwelling places of tzara-at are presented (14:33-57)
The parashah denotes male impurities resulting from a penile discharge or seminal emission. (15:1-18)
If you are new to Temple Beth-El, welcome!
OPEN COMMUNITY CREATES ENGAGING & DIVERSE JEWISH PATHWAYS
Located in St Petersburg on Floridas beautiful west coast, Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish congregation that has served this area since 1928 and is focused on strengthening relationships and making connections. We are a welcoming Reform community for Jewish and interfaith households to experience an uplifting and joyful sense of belonging as we seek to connect our members with each other and the greater community and world around us.
Enjoy and have a Shabbat Shalom!
for a full list of ALL upcoming events
The parashah concludes with accounts of female impurities caused by a discharge of blood. (15:19-33)
Relax! God put the wiggle in children. Don’t feel you have to suppress it in our sanctuary or chapel
Sit towards the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what is happening on the Bima. They tire of seeing the backs of other’s heads.
Quietly explain our rituals and sing or clap when appropriate. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you.
If you need to leave services with your child, do so, but please come back. Remember that the way we welcome children in synagogue directly affects the way they respond to coming to synagogue, to God, to one another. Let them know that they are welcome in this house of worship, here, at Temple Beth-El.
